New York Passes Nursing Mothers Legislation

September 13, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - New York
Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed into law legislation that
protects working mothers' ability to continue providing
breast milk to their infants after the mothers return to the
workplace.

A Spitzer press release said the legislation
requires employers to provide uncompensated time and make
a reasonable effort to provide private space for women to
express milk or nurse their children for a period of up
to three years following the birth of a child. In
addition, the law bars an employer from discriminating
against an employee exercising this right.

“A woman should not be forced to sacrifice her
ability to provide for her children economically or
nutritionally,” said Spitzer, in the press release.
“Employers know the merit of retaining valuable
employees and this modest accommodation allows mothers
who chose to breast feed to continue their invaluable
contribution to the economy without fearing for their
job.”

Assemblywoman Roann Destito, co-sponsor of the
legislation, said: “A young mother was fired in my
district for expressing breast milk for her child. That
will not happen again because today we recognize that all
women may choose to work and that their children will
have the best nutritional care available at the early
stages of life.”

The legislation was unanimously passed in the state
Senate and Assembly.